French patent application No. 2 500 220 published on the 20th of Aug. 1982 describes a gas laser which comprises:
a pair of metal plates which face each other and which are substantially parallel; PA1 a pair of dielectric members placed side by side between said pair of plates, said members being fixed to the plates in such a manner as to form two capacitors connected in parallel, with the space between said dielectric members and said plates constituting a channel having an axis and containing a gaseous active medium, and with the middle portions of the plates which are in contact with the active medium forming respective electrodes; PA1 a resonant optical cavity disposed along the axis containing the active medium; and PA1 a charging circuit comprising: PA1 a pair of metal plates which face each other, with each plate having a middle portion situated between two adjacent end portions; PA1 a pair of dielectric members disposed between said pair of plates on either side of said middle portions and in contact with said end portions to form, together with the plates, two parallel connected capacitors, the space between said dielectric members and said plates constituting a channel having an axis and containing a gaseous active medium, and the middle portions of the plates which are in contact with the active medium forming respective electrodes; PA1 a resonant optical cavity disposed along the axis containing the active medium; and PA1 a charging circuit comprising: PA1 the improvement wherein each of said dielectric members comprises an insulating wall disposed perpendicularly to said plates and enclosing a volume between the corresponding pair of facing end portions, and water filling said enclosed volume.
a transformer having a primary winding connected in series with a capacitance, and a secondary winding having its ends connected to respective ones of said plates; PA2 a source of electric current capable of charging said capacitance; and PA2 means for causing the capacitance to discharge through the primary winding, thereby inducing a current in the secondary winding capable of charging said capacitors in order to establish an electric discharge between the electrodes, said discharge serving to excite the active gaseous medium to form a laser beam. PA2 a transformer having a primary winding connected in series with a capacitance, and a secondary winding having its ends connected to respective ones of said plates; PA2 a source of electric current capable of charging said capacitance; and PA2 means for causing the capacitance to discharge through the primary winding, thereby inducing a current in the secondary winding capable of charging said capacitors in order to establish an electric discharge between the electrodes, said discharge serving to excite the active gaseous medium to form a laser beam;
In this gas laser, the dielectric members of the capacitors may be constituted by piezoelectric dielectrics.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention improve said gas laser in such a manner as to increase its reliability.